Where's Weed Marijuana News Bloghttps://wheresweed.com/blog
Blog about medical marijuana dispensaries, politics and legal weedWeed is legal in Alaska, but when will it go on sale in Anchorage?https://wheresweed.com/blog/2016/dec/weed-is-legal-in-alaska-but-when-will-it-go-on-sale-in-anchorage
<p>Retail cannabis shops have been open in Alaska for over a month now, but when will it&#39;s largest city, Anchorage, open it&#39;s first recreational marijuana store? Alaska Fireweed became the first Anchorage dispensary to pass it&#39;s final inspection this week, with another shop not far behind. Scheduled to open it&#39;s doors on Dec. 17, Alaska Fireweed will soon have shelves stocked with 9 different strains of cannabis supplied by the Kasilof cultivator,&nbsp;Greatland Ganja. Another Anchorage shop, Enlighten Alaska, ran into some bad luck after being robbed over Thanksgiving, setting the shop back a few weeks, now hoping to open by the new year.</p>
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<p>&ldquo;Its very exciting and nerve racking at the same time,&rdquo; Alaska Fireweed General Manager Will Ingram said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re at the finish line now. I can see it in sight.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The store&rsquo;s empty shelves will soon be filled with nine strains of cannabis from Greatland Ganja, a cultivator from Kasilof.</p>
<p>Alaska Fireweed is set to open to the public at &ldquo;high noon&rdquo; on Saturday December, 17.</p>
<p>&ldquo;This is a great way to initiate the holidays,&rdquo; Ingram says.</p>
<p>Still, that puts Anchorage more than a month behind other stores around the state</p>
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Just-appointed Arkansas medical marijuana panel on short clockhttps://wheresweed.com/blog/2016/dec/just-appointed-arkansas-medical-marijuana-panel-on-short-clock
<p>Arkansas voters chose to legalize medical marijuana last month, and despite political officials&#39; clear opposition to the bill, legislators are ready to represent the will of the people and get the program up and running. Appointed to the new Medical Marijuana Commission was&nbsp;a breast cancer surgeon, a pain specialist, a pharmacist, a former Senate chief of staff and a lawyer. The newly appointed group has 4 short months to decide rules and regulations for the coming industry, which will license 4-8 grow centers and 20-40 dispensaries.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&ldquo;We were rather vocal in our opposition to the amendment, but the people spoke and it is our responsibility to take the steps necessary to implement in a fair and responsible way the amendment that was passed by the people of Arkansas,&rdquo; Gov. Asa Hutchinson said.</p>
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Under the state constitutional amendment adopted last month, the commission will establish rules governing marijuana distribution to people suffering from certain medical conditions. It can license between four and eight growing centers and authorize between 20 and 40 dispensaries. No county can have more than four distribution sites.</p>
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Med pot shops could sell recreational marijuana under proposalhttps://wheresweed.com/blog/2016/dec/med-pot-shops-could-sell-recreational-marijuana-under-proposal
<p>Last month, California voters passed Proposition 64&nbsp;legalizing recreational marijuana for adults 21 and up, but you won&#39;t see a recreational dispensary for a long while. San Diego legislators just announced their proposal to allow the 15 medical marijuana shops to also sell recreational marijuana once recreational marijuana licenses are issued in January 2018. If passed, the proposal would restrict business signs to only alphabetical characters, no images or logos. It would restrict marijuana grows to secured green houses only, and it would also permit specific retailers to be able to deliver marijuana.</p>
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<p>Proposition 64 made it legal for individuals to use and grow marijuana for personal use on Nov. 9. But the sale and subsequent taxation of recreational marijuana will not go into effect until Jan. 1, 2018, because that&rsquo;s when state licenses needed to sell it will take effect.</p>
<p>The revised regulations would also prohibit the cultivation of marijuana and the outdoor growing of residential marijuana, but cultivation in secured greenhouses would be allowed</p>
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Marijuana legalization may be put on hold in San Mateo Countyhttps://wheresweed.com/blog/2016/dec/marijuana-legalization-may-be-put-on-hold-in-san-mateo-county
<p>California voters made the choice to pass Proposition 64 last month legalizing recreational marijuana for adults, but not everyone is prepared just yet. San Mateo County&#39;s Board of Supervisors want to place a moratorium on the coming legalization to ban it&#39;s citizens from growing or purchasing marijuana. While officials say they aren&#39;t in favor or against the legalization, they believe the county needs more time to prepare. Proposition 64 had the support of 57% of California voters including 63% of San Mateos who do not have a local medical marijuana dispensary.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>San Mateo County&rsquo;s Board of Supervisors unanimously supported a temporary moratorium on legalization Tuesday that would ban personal marijuana growing and distribution activities for an unspecified amount of time.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not that you&rsquo;re saying yes or that you&rsquo;re saying &lsquo;no,&rsquo;&rdquo; said San Mateo&rsquo;s District Five Supervisor Adrienne Tissier. &ldquo;I just think the county needs to digest the materials here and not move too fast.</p>
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Medical marijuana in NY soon available for chronic painhttps://wheresweed.com/blog/2016/dec/medical-marijuana-in-ny-soon-available-for-chronic-pain
<p>In the state of New York, medical marijuana is available for patients with any of the 10 qualifying conditions like cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis epilepsy, and this week the state Health Department announced that they&#39;re developing regulations to include patients with chronic pain. Around 11,000 patients have been certified by their doctor to receive medical marijuana, but adding chronic pain to the list could help ease the pain of many more Americans. Chronic pain is currently defined as having pain for more than 15 days a month, which the DENT Neurologic Institute says includes 100-million Americans.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&ldquo;Medical marijuana is already helping thousands of patients across New York state, and adding chronic pain as a qualifying condition will help more patients and further strengthen the program,&quot; state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said in a statement.</p>
<p>Mechtler says medical marijuana will help get many patients off of prescription opiates.</p>
<p>&quot;I&#39;d rather have individuals on medical marijuana than I do with opiates. There has not been one certified death from overdose of medical marijuana,&quot; says Mechtler. &quot;I think this is an exciting time for medical marijuana to step in to decrease the addiction rate, to decrease the overdose, and help our patients and our athletes and our students who have chronic pain.&quot;</p>
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Trailblazing Uruguay Lights up New Marijuana Museumhttps://wheresweed.com/blog/2016/dec/trailblazing-uruguay-lights-up-new-marijuana-museum
<p>Uruguay, the first country in the world to fully legalize marijuana, will be opening Latin America&#39;s first museum dedicated to cannabis this week. After legalizing the production, use and sale of marijuana&nbsp;in 2013 to help defeat cartels, Uruguayans are also able to grow up to 6 plants for personal use. Museum operators hope to bring biological and cultural diversity to it&#39;s visitors, and offering exhibits such as &quot;a trip to one of the oldest crops in the world,&quot; which they believe will be one of the most important plants of this millennium. Uruguay has set a precedent for legalizing cannabis, and it&#39;s surrounding countries are taking notes.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>The new initiative is set to be the first museum dedicated to cannabis in Latin America and the southern hemisphere. Part of its mission is to promote &ldquo;biological and cultural diversity,&rdquo; according to the museum&rsquo;s Facebook page, while also serving as a &ldquo;cultural club.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a way to connect people who love nature, art and science,&rdquo; museum Director Eduardo Blasina said.</p>
<p>Uruguay fully legalized production, use and sale of recreational cannabis in 2013, including allowing users to grow up to six pot plants for personal use. The government is also working to give the green light for the unprecedented sale of three different varieties of marijuana at pharmacies across the country.</p>
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Can’t pay for your medical marijuana? A new fund might helphttps://wheresweed.com/blog/2016/dec/cant-pay-for-your-medical-marijuana-a-new-fund-might-help
<p>Cannabis regulators in the state of Washington are rolling out a new code of conduct as well as starting a fund to help pay for medical marijuana for those who cannot afford it. Most other medications can come with government or financial aid for patients with need but no way to afford their drugs. Marijuana presents a unique problem due to it&#39;s illegal federal status, meaning that type of financial assistance isn&#39;t available. The Washington CannaBusiness Association is starting this fund which anyone can donate to, to help the patients who truly need it. WACA hopes to have the fund ready by the spring of next year, where patients will be able to apply at a WACA members&#39; retail location or online.</p>
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<p>Patients facing an array of medical conditions can sometimes get assistance for prescription drugs from pharmaceutical companies, government agencies and charities.</p>
<p>That support system doesn&rsquo;t exist for medical marijuana.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Hopefully we can help fill that void until the federal government changes the status of marijuana nationally,&rdquo; Christophersen said.</p>
<p>Qualifying patients with an authorization from a medical professional can apply for financial support from the fund. Forms will be available at WACA members&rsquo; retail locations and online starting in the first quarter of next year, according to the association</p>
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This financier left Wall Street to start a marijuana chocolate companyhttps://wheresweed.com/blog/2016/dec/this-financier-left-wall-street-to-start-a-marijuana-chocolate-company
<p>With 19 years of history on Wall Street, Peter Barsoom knows a good business opportunity when he sees one, which is why in 2014 he chose to open a company selling premium low-dose cannabis infused chocolate. Barsoom sees a cannabis market flooded with high dose edibles intended for heavy users, but he believes there is a valuable market for the casual user. The company, 1906, serves several different styles of chocolate like a&nbsp;dark chocolate remedy for insomnia and a caffeine and amino acid chocolate meant for energy. When eaten, the active cannabinoid in marijuana (THC) can be twice as strong as when smoked. Edibles can take 1 to 2 hours for users to feel it&#39;s effects, making it easy for beginners to overdo the intended dose, however there are no recorded fatal overdoses from cannabis. 1906 offers 10 milligram dose chocolates which they believe is a better more consistent dose.</p>
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<p>Weed-laced treats offer a different experience than a joint or a bong hit. When eaten, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, undergoes a transformation in the liver that turns it into a substance that&#39;s twice as strong and lasts twice as long as when it&#39;s inhaled. A user&#39;s high might not peak until one to three hours after eating.</p>
<p>1906 products are sold in select dispensaries in Colorado, where Barsoom hopes to change people&#39;s minds about the usability of edibles.</p>
<p>&quot;Everybody has a bad story about edibles. It doesn&#39;t need to be this way. People don&#39;t have a bad story about taking Tylenol,&quot; Barsoom said. &quot;This can be done better.&quot;</p>
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Senator looks to legalize medical marijuana in Texashttps://wheresweed.com/blog/2016/dec/senator-looks-to-legalize-medical-marijuana-in-texas
<p>In 2015 Texas passed a law allowing patients with intractable epilepsy to use medical marijuana, and this week a bill was filed to expand on that program by allowing patients with debilitating or chronic conditions to be recommended medical marijuana by their doctor. Senator Jos&eacute; Men&eacute;ndez, who author the bill, believes it will be helpful, but that patients with even more conditions could benefit from the drug.&nbsp;Men&eacute;ndez wants patients and their doctors to be able to decide what is best for them, including medical marijuana.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Senate Bill 269, which was filed Tuesday morning, would allow patients with debilitating or chronic conditions to receive medical cannabis under their doctor&#39;s recommendation. The bill would expand on a 2015 Texas law that allows patients to receive certain forms of cannabis if they have intractable epilepsy.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&quot;Why are we forcing Texans to become medical refugees?&quot; Men&eacute;ndez asked. &quot;If that&#39;s what they&#39;ve come to find that works for them, they should be able to live in their state and be able to have access to the medicine that their doctor feels is best for them.&quot;&nbsp;</p>
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Ireland moves toward legalizing marijuana for medicinal usehttps://wheresweed.com/blog/2016/nov/ireland-moves-toward-legalizing-marijuana-for-medicinal-use
<p>Ireland may join countries like Italy, Czech Republic, and Australia this year to reform it&#39;s marijuana laws and allow medical marijuana for qualifying patients. The bill will have it&#39;s first reading soon and is backed by all other parties. Ireland&#39;s Health Minister says the government would be unable to stop the bill, but that they would pursue amendments in the future to ensure proper regulation. Officials want to keep the law from becoming recreational, but want those in need to have access to relief.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Harris said he wanted to remove references from the bill that could have the effect of making it legal for anyone to possess cannabis, including for recreational purposes - changes Kenny said he would accept.</p>
<p>&quot;It&#39;s been overwhelming, not only in the Dail, but to see the people who have contacted us and who are trying to access medical cannabis for themselves or their children,&quot; Kenny, a People Before Profit Alliance party lawmaker, told national broadcaster RTE.</p>
<p>&quot;I even got emails this morning saying that &#39;if this goes through it will change my life&#39;. If this can do something small for somebody, it&#39;s a very, very positive thing that&#39;s happened.&quot;</p>
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President Barack Obama Just Made a Bold Statement About Marijuanahttps://wheresweed.com/blog/2016/nov/president-barack-obama-just-made-a-bold-statement-about-marijuana
<p>Obama has been fairly open about his history with marijuana use when he was younger, and since becoming the President he has even made remarks about it not being as dangerous as alcohol, but he has never taken&nbsp;a strong stand agains prohibition. President Obama wants to be clear that he does not support substance abuse, however he does think that marijuana should be treated similar to alcohol and tobacco. He says that legalization is not done by an order of the president, but instead should be handled by organizations in charge of enforcing prohibition or through legislation.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Typically how these classifications are changed are not done by presidential edict but are done either legislatively or through the DEA. As you might imagine, the DEA, whose job it is historically to enforce drug laws, is not always going to be on the cutting edge about these issues.&quot;</p>
<p>He added that it&#39;s &quot;untenable over the long term for the Justice Department or the DEA to be enforcing a patchwork of laws, where something that&#39;s legal in one state could get you a 20-year prison sentence in another.&quot;</p>
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The NFL Is Punishing A Player Who Uses Marijuana To Treat His Crohn’s Diseasehttps://wheresweed.com/blog/2016/nov/the-nfl-is-punishing-a-player-who-uses-marijuana-to-treat-his-crohns-disease
<p>In the&nbsp;recent past the NFL has mentioned their consideration for cannabis as an alternative treatment for players, but their efforts may not come soon enough. Seantrel Henderson is one positive marijuana test away from being banned from the NFL for life, even though the pain from&nbsp;his Crohn&#39;s disease can only be eased by one thing, marijuana. The 24 year old&#39;s career is being threatened if he continues to take what doctors say is the &quot;number one medicine that will help your disease&quot;. Having suffered through several surgeries on his colon and intestines, pain killers aren&#39;t an option for Henderson, but the NFL upheld his suspension and refuses to make an exception for his medication.</p>
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<p>In the middle of last season, the 24-year-old learned he had Crohn&rsquo;s disease, defined by the Mayo Clinic as &ldquo;an inflammatory bowel disease ... [that] causes inflammation of the lining of your digestive tract.&rdquo; Crohn&rsquo;s disease can cause &ldquo;abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition,&rdquo; and while there is no known cure for it, one thing in particular can help ease the pain, according to medial studies: weed.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got doctors telling me this is the No. 1 medicine that would help your disease,&rdquo; Henderson said in October, according to The Buffalo News. &ldquo;You try to tell that to the league and it seems like they didn&rsquo;t care too much.&rdquo;</p>
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PTSD now qualifies for medical marijuana in Minnesotahttps://wheresweed.com/blog/2016/nov/ptsd-now-qualifies-for-medical-marijuana-in-minnesota
<p>After considering 9 different conditions, the Minnesota Department of Health announced this week that PTSD will be added as a qualifying condition&nbsp;for medical marijuana patients. The Health Commissioner declared that lack of published scientific evidence made other conditions less considerable, however PTSD sufferers have fewer treatment options and potentially the most to benefit from medical marijuana. Patients with PTSD won&#39;t have access to the drug until Aug. 1st, 2017. Also added to the state&#39;s medical marijuana program is the ability to make and sell cannabis topicals such as patches, lotions, creams, and ointmets.</p>
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<p>&quot;This decision was made after careful deliberation of available evidence, consultation with experts in the field and public input,&quot; Health Commissioner Ehlinger said. &quot;While the process of reviewing these potential additions was difficult due to the relative lack of published scientific evidence, PTSD presented the strongest case for potential benefits. PTSD also has few effective treatment alternatives available for some patients with the condition.</p>
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Here’s how long it could take to recount the Maine marijuana ballot questionhttps://wheresweed.com/blog/2016/nov/heres-how-long-it-could-take-to-recount-the-maine-marijuana-ballot-question
<p>Two ballot questions that narrowly passed in Maine this month will soon undergo a recount. The first is a ballot question that legalized recreational marijuana for adults, and the second is a public education tax on high earners. The recounts will likely start by next week, but the Maine Department of the Secretary of State will make an announcement on Monday. 2 recounts will be done&nbsp;simultaneously to ensure an accurate count, and the final numbers will likely take 4-6 weeks.</p>
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<p>The Maine Department of the Secretary of State says recounts of a pair of ballot questions will likely take four to six weeks.</p>
<p>The department is getting ready to announce a schedule for the recounts. The recounts have been requested for ballot questions that legalized recreational marijuana and approved a tax on high earners to fund public education.</p>
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Teva to Market Medical Marijuana Inhaler in Israel https://wheresweed.com/blog/2016/nov/teva-to-market-medical-marijuana-inhaler-in-israel
<p>Some medical marijuana patients have trouble keeping a consistent dose when smoking cannabis. Two&nbsp;Israeli companies are partnering up to design and market a medical cannabis inhaler in an effort to make consulting and using the drug easier. Looking similar to an asthma inhaler of the future, the device gives precise control over every dose. Doctors want to bring medical cannabis into a prescription standard with time and dose recommendations, though an incorrect marijuana dose does not pose the lethal threat that other household drugs like acetaminophen do. If the inhaler is approved by Israel&#39;s ministry, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. will be the exclusive distributor. Israel is expected to double it&#39;s current 26,000 medical marijuana patients by 2018.</p>
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<p>Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (TEVA), a generic drugmaker headquartered outside of Tel Aviv, announced Monday that it will partner with another Israeli firm, Syqe Medical Ltd. (pronounced &quot;psyche&quot;) to market a medical cannabis inhaler in the country. The product is designed to treat pain without getting patients high.</p>
<p>The device, which is similar in appearance to a futuristic asthma inhaler, delivers precise doses, potentially resolving one of doctors&#39; main complaints regarding medical marijuana: the lack of certainty about how much a patient should take, how often and in what form &ndash; not to mention how much they will consume in practice, when left to their own devices.</p>
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Where Marijuana Is the Doctor’s Orders, Will Insurers Pay?https://wheresweed.com/blog/2016/nov/where-marijuana-is-the-doctors-orders-will-insurers-pay
<p>This year quite a few states have legalized medical marijuana, bringing the total to 28 in the US. More people than ever are curious about the benefits of medical marijuana and wonder if it will be covered by insurance like the prescriptions it could potentially replace. Unfortunately, like every marijuana law it is left up to each individual state meaning different rules around the country. Some states have specifically exempted employer insurances from covering medical marijuana costs, while others like New Mexico will require workplace insurers to pay for medical marijuana as long as its recommended by a doctor. Employers allover the country will also retain their right to test for marijuana and keep a drug-free workplace.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Usually, patients pay for the drug themselves and several states have explicitly exempted workplace compensation insurers for covering such costs.</p>
<p>But as a result of recent state court rulings in New Mexico, workplace insurers there are required to pay for marijuana-based treatments if they are recommended by a doctor. And lower courts in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and Michigan have issued rulings directing workplace insurers to do so.</p>
<p>The number of patients receiving such coverage is small. And because marijuana is illegal under federal law, insurers paying for the drug must use a financial workaround to avoid violations. One strategy is to reimburse patients for their costs rather than make a direct payment to a marijuana dispensary.</p>
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When Is Marijuana Officially Legal In Massachusetts?https://wheresweed.com/blog/2016/nov/when-is-marijuana-officially-legal-in-massachusetts
<p>On election day, voters in Massachusetts legalized the use of marijuana by adults 21+, but the law does not go into effect until Dec. 15th of this year. With only a couple weeks left before legalization it&#39;s important to know what is changing. Users will be able to purchase, possess, process, or manufacture up to 1 ounce of marijuana buds, including no more than 5 grams of cannabis concentrates. Once the law goes into effect, adults will be able to grow up to 6 plants at a time in their private residence, so long as no more than 12 are cultivated at a time. With a limit of 10 ounces in a private residence, users in Massachusetts will have the highest home possession limit in the country.</p>
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<p>SECTION 12. This act shall take effect on December 15, 2016.</p>
<p>(1) possessing, using, purchasing, processing or manufacturing 1 ounce or less of marijuana, except that not more than 5 grams of marijuana may be in the form of marijuana concentrate;</p>
<p>(2) within the person&rsquo;s primary residence, possessing up to 10 ounces of marijuana and any marijuana produced by marijuana plants cultivated on the premises and possessing, cultivating or processing not more than 6 marijuana plants for personal use so long as not more than 12 plants are cultivated on the premises at once;</p>
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A test for marijuana impairment? A UMass prof has an app for thathttps://wheresweed.com/blog/2016/nov/a-test-for-marijuana-impairment-a-umass-prof-has-an-app-for-that
<p>Massachusetts is one of the several new states to legalize marijuana in some forms, but the state has yet to designate a legal limit comparable to a 0.08 blood alcohol content, or a way to to properly test for impairment in suspected stoned drivers. A psychology professor from the University of Massachusetts wants drug users to be able to track their impairment, so he designed an app called DRUID to put the user through a series of tasks. The professor hopes to get his app in the hands of law enforcement where they will have drivers they suspect to be impaired test their balance, sense of time and motor functions. An official at Hire Image, a drug testing service for employers, thinks chemical testing will come before an app is used by law enforcement and that she believes the chemical testing to be more accurate.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>That&rsquo;s why Michael Milburn, a psychology professor at University of Massachusetts Boston for 39 years, is trying to get his app that tests for marijuana impairment into the hands of law enforcement. He has created and self-funded DRUID, an acronym for for driving under the influence of drugs. It is a tablet-based app in which users are asked to perform a series of tasks in five minutes.</p>
<p>The app tasks include asking users to tap the screen in certain places when they see different shapes; to stop a clock when 60 seconds have passed; to follow a moving circle on the screen with a finger as it randomly changes directions; and to stand on one leg for 30 seconds each with the iPad in one hand.</p>
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Local pot shop to offer free medical marijuanahttps://wheresweed.com/blog/2016/nov/local-pot-shop-to-offer-free-medical-marijuana
<p>Thanksgiving and Black Friday own this holiday week, but today is Green Wednesday in Spokane, Washington where one local dispensary is giving away $36,000 of free buds! The shop, 4:20 Friendly, is giving out 1oz of free cannabis&nbsp;to each of it&#39;s first 180 medical marijuana card holders to visit today, thanks to a generous donation by BBB Farms,. Each ounce of medical marijuana usually costs about $150, which can be a hefty expense for low-income patients. The owner of BBB Farms, Robert Vernon, has been wanting to donate since he learned of the law and now hopes other retailers will follow suite and&nbsp;offer free marijuana to patients.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&quot;You come in, show me your medical card, we verify that it&#39;s legit. We have to scan it by law, then we&#39;ll ring you up and you get to walk out with a free ounce,&quot; said Carol Ehrhart, owner of 4:20 Friendly.</p>
<p>&quot;There&#39;s also a lot of people that really need it that don&#39;t have the money to be able to afford it,&quot; said Ehrhart.</p>
<p>&quot;Not everybody growing is all about the greed. We know there&#39;s people who need it and we&#39;re here to give it,&quot; added Vernon.</p>
<p>Vernon says he&#39;s about &quot;the need, not the greed.&quot; He hopes after Wednesday, more marijuana retailers will follow their lead and offer medical patients free marijuana. &nbsp;</p>
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NFL Players Searching For Painkiller Choices Hope For Relaxed Marijuana Banhttps://wheresweed.com/blog/2016/nov/nfl-players-searching-for-painkiller-choices-hope-for-relaxed-marijuana-ban
<p>The federal government continues to hold&nbsp;firm on it&#39;s stance that cannabis is a schedule 1 dug, denying it&#39;s medical value and prohibiting it&#39;s use by anyone. Professional sports associations are no different in holding to their ban of the drug, but leagues like the NFL could benefit hugely from the drug&nbsp;with many players experiencing pain on a regular basis. A great example is former player Kyle Turley, who played 8 seasons in the NFL as an offensive lineman. Even after his football career he is in pain and has been open about his addiction to prescription pain killers like&nbsp;Vicodin, Flexeril, Percocets, Vioxx, and morphine. After experiencing addition and thoughts of suicide, he decided to kick his prescription pain killers and started using marijuana for his pain. Since, Turley has helped start a group called the Gridiron Cannabis Coalition&nbsp;to advocate for marijuana as legal pain treatment in football. Legal pain killers like prescription opioids were responsible for 14,000 overdoses in 2014 according to the CDC, but a human simply cannot overdose on cannabinoids.</p>
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<p>According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2014 more than 14,000 people died from overdoses involving prescription opioids.</p>
<p>&quot;You can&#39;t directly die from taking a cannabinioid, the way tens of thousands of people are directly dying from opioids each year in the U.S.,&quot; says Dr. Clauw.</p>
<p>Dr. Clauw published a study this year of about 250 people who said they&#39;d used marijuana and opioids for chronic pain. The subjects said as marijuana use went up, opioid use went down. Significantly.</p>
<p>&quot;They noted on average a two-thirds decrease in their opioid dose,&quot; says Dr. Clauw, adding, &quot;they also noted that they just felt a lot better overall with respect to side-effect profile when their pain was being controlled largely with cannabinoids.&quot;</p>
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